


Marry Me

by Claire8216



Series: Song-fics [1]
Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-05 11:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14043585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claire8216/pseuds/Claire8216
Summary: What if Scott Moir really is in love with Tessa Virtue, but never actually tells her? Here's how it goes.*OR*And so, as Scott lay in bed, he replayed that day over and over. He analyzed every second of it, but he still comes to the same conclusion every time. He blew it. Eventually, he drifts off into a restless sleep, nothing on his mind except Tessa.Then a week later, when he receives an invitation in the mail to join Tessa and Jake in celebrating the union of their two families, the replays of that day start all over again, but this time, in an alternate reality, he mans up and kisses her, and he’s left to dream about what might have been.Because that’s all he has. What might have been.Inspired by the song "Marry Me" by Thomas Rhett.*EPILOGUE now posted!*





	1. Marry Me

**Author's Note:**

> Right, sooo I literally have not written like, anything since like, 2014. And I had an idea for this story and literally created an AO3 account solely to post this, so I hope you enjoy!

_She wants to get married, she wants it perfect  
She wants her grandaddy preaching the service_

***

**_2000_ **

The first time, she was the one to bring it up. She was ten. And although Scott had no interest whatsoever in weddings or love or marriage at the time, she was still Tessa, and he was still Scott, so he listened to her anyway.

“ _Obviously_ it’s going to be the best, most beautiful, most perfect wedding of all time. Grandpa will be the one to actually marry us, of course, and it’s going to be right as the sun sets-”

She turned to Scott, only to see that he’s less than enthusiastic about the topic at hand.

“Do you ever think about your wedding?” she asked.

Scott, as any typical twelve-year-old boy would do, rolled his eyes in disgust.

“Ew, no thanks. I’m never getting married.”

Tessa looked at him with wide doe-eyes, disbelief apparent in them.

“Never?”

“Never.”

“Why not?”

“Because girls are gross. I definitely don’t want to spend my whole life living with one.”

The second the words left his mouth, he regretted them. All of a sudden, she seemed very fascinated with the ground.

“Aw, Tess, I didn’t mean it like that,” he said apologetically. “You’re different. You’re the only girl I actually don’t mind being around. You’re…Tessa.”

And even though he was able to get a ghost of a smile out of her, she never brought it up to him again.

***

_Yeah, she wants magnolias out in the country  
Not too many people, save her daddy some money_

_Ooh, she got it all planned out  
Yeah, I can see it all right now_

*******

**_2008_ **

The second time, he was the one to bring it up. He was twenty now, and the idea of marriage a few years down the road didn’t seem so far-fetched anymore.

“T, you ever still think about your dream wedding?”

The two of them were driving back to London for the weekend from Canton. It had been a while since they’d last been home and wanted to surprise their families.

Tessa peered over at him from the passenger seat.

“Do I what?” she asked, surprise laced through her voice.

“You know, when you were ten, you talked about this perfect wedding you had in your mind. You ever think about that still?”

She narrowed her eyes a bit, looking at him suspiciously. “Sometimes. Not too often anymore.

Why?”

He shrugged awkwardly. “No reason. Just a question.”

She pursed her lips, and the two sat in silence for a minute or two.

“I’ve added onto it,” she said quietly.

“What?”

“My dream wedding,” she elaborated. “It’s still the same as what I told you back then, but I’ve added a few things to the list.”

“Like what?”

She sighs. “Oh, I don’t know. I think I’d want the flowers to be simple. Something like daisies, or magnolias. Yeah, magnolias are pretty. You like those, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah, they’re nice.”

She smiled, satisfied with his answer. “I’d still want my grandfather to hold the service. And I think it’d be nice to have it somewhere in the countryside. I wouldn’t want it too big, though. I wouldn’t want my family paying for that.”

At least, that what she told him. What she didn’t mention, what she kept just for herself, stored away in the wishful thinking part of her brain, was that the only way she wanted these things is if they were with Scott.

***

 _I'll wear my black suit, black tie, hide out in the back_  
_I'll do a strong shot of whiskey straight out the flask_  
 _I'll try to make it through without crying so nobody sees_  
 _Yeah, she wanna get married_  
 _But she don't wanna marry me_

***

**_2021_ **

Scott stepped out of his car, buttoning his suit while doing so. He and Tessa were supposed to be meeting at the charity gala tonight, and he was nervous out of his mind. He was finally going to do it. He was finally going to tell Tessa how he feels about her. How he’s _felt_ about her for the past who knows how long.

“Scott!”

He whipped around at the sound the familiar voice. And then there she was. Tessa. His Tessa, walking toward him looking nothing less than perfect in an emerald green floor-length halter dress, making her eyes pop even more than they already did.

“Hey, Kiddo! Long time no see,” he said, smiling as she approached him.

She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck in a loving embrace for the first time in months, and suddenly all was right in the world.

_Virtue and Moir, Tessa and Scott, reunited again._

He hugged her back and kissed her cheek, hoping to convey every emotion he felt running through his body. _I missed you. I need you. I love you._

She pulled away all too soon, but left her hands resting on his shoulders, getting a better look at him.

“Your hair,” she said. “It’s grown out again.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess I’ve kind of let myself go the past few months, eh?”

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. “No, no. It looks good.”

Then she leaned toward him until her lips are right by his ear. “Latch always was one of my favorites,” she whispered.

His eyes go wide at that statement, and she pulled back to look at him again, laughing when she sees his expression.

He laughed too, just to go along with her, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a hidden meaning behind her words.

“How’ve you been? I mean, I know we talk on the phone almost every day but to actually be able to see you…” she trailed off, but Scott knew what she meant.

“I know,” he said. “It’s just not the same. And I’ve been good, just busy with coaching and all that, nothing out of the usual. How about you?”

Her smile dimmed slightly and she suddenly became very interested in her shoes.

“Actually, I have something-”

“Tessa, babe, they’re starting to sit people,” said a voice Scott had definitely heard before, but couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Finally, Tessa’s eyes snap up to his, and she doesn’t even have to say anything to convey the apology she’s sending him.

The voice approached the two of them, and suddenly Scott realized where he knew him from. His name was Jake Borden, and he remembered when Tessa introduced the two of them about a year ago. They had just started dating, but that was the only time Scott had ever met him, and Tessa never brought him up again, so he figured things fizzled between the two before it ever really started. Apparently, he was wrong. Very, very wrong.

He sent Tessa a questioning look before turning to Jake, sticking his hand out. He may be confused and hurt, but from what he remembers, Jake’s a nice enough guy, and hasn’t done anything purposefully to hurt Scott.

“Hey, man. Scott. You’re Jake, right? I think we met a while back.”

Jake smiled, accepting Scott’s handshake. “Of course, man. I couldn’t forget the other half of the famous Virtue and Moir.”

Scott let out a polite laugh, but only him and Tessa could tell how forced it was.

The was an awkward silence until finally Scott had had enough.

“So, I had no idea you and Tessa were still dating.”

Jake laughed, and Tessa winced, and Scott looked between them, confused.

“Dating?” Jake said. “Try engaged. You didn’t tell him, babe?”

Scott looked at Tessa, and for a fleeting second, he thought he saw pain flash through her eyes, but it was gone and replaced with nothingness as quickly as it had come. She turned to Jake and smiled at him, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I wanted to wait to tell him in person,” she said easily, although Scott could tell something was off.

Jake smiled easily and leaned down to peck her on the lips, and Scott had to look away.

“Honey, why don’t you find our seats and I’ll be right behind you. I just need to talk to Scott for another minute.”

Jake smiled again, oblivious to the fact that he has now made Scott and Tessa’s reunion extremely awkward and not at all what Scott thought it would be.

“Of course, see you guys in there. Nice to see you again, Scott.”

Scott smiles tightly back at him, watching his retreating figure. As soon as he’s out of sight, he turned back to Tessa, suddenly noticing the engagement ring on her finger, and _God_ how had he not seen it before?

“I’m so sorry, I was going to tell-”

“Don’t be sorry, Tessa. You’re engaged! You should be happy! Congratulations!” He says it with so much enthusiasm and happiness he thinks he deserves and Oscar.

Tessa furrowed her eyebrows. “Really? You’re sure?”

Scott forced a laugh. “Yes, I’m sure. This is a good thing. Marriage, a family, it’s always been one of your many dreams.”

She nodded slowly, agreeing with him, and Scott could feel his heart breaking then and there. They walked inside to the gala together after that, Scott leading her with his hand on her lower back, as always.

And if he noticed her linger by him a bit longer than usual before going to find her seat and her fiancée, he didn’t say anything.

And if she noticed him walking off to the balcony every now and then to sneak in a shot of whiskey, she didn’t say anything either.

***

 _I remember the night when I almost kissed her_  
_Yeah, I kinda freaked out, we'd been friends for forever_  
 _And I always wondered if she felt the same way_  
 _When I got the invite, I knew it was too late_

***

Scott lay in bed that night, trying to pinpoint exactly where it all went wrong. Was there something he could have done? Could he have prevented this? Could he and Tessa be together and happy right now? Or were they always intended for this? For her to find happiness, but in that, for him to be destined for heartbreak. He supposed it was better than the other way around.

Through this thought process, his mind kept travelling back to one specific moment. _That_ moment. The one that could have had the power to prevent this current reality he was living from happening.

It was in between Vancouver and Sochi and also, in between Scott’s girlfriends. He remembers that they were having a particularly good practice that day. They were nailing their twizzles, perfecting all their lifts, and were just so in tune with their programs, with the music, with _each other_ , that they didn’t want their practice to end. Unfortunately, it had to, and Marina eventually kicked them out because they “shouldn’t overwork themselves,” and “it was Meryl and Charlie’s turn to practice.”

Scott just rolled his eyes, looked at Tessa and smirked. “Want to continue this elsewhere?”

Tessa laughed and nodded. “I’d love nothing more.”

So they did. They went to a public rink, and the two of them had a mutual understanding that today was just going to be about them. Tessa and Scott, two best friends. Not Virtue and Moir, Olympic champions. For the first time in a long time, the two skated just to skate. If people were to watch them, they would say that by no means were they technically brilliant that day, but it didn’t matter because they brought something bigger, something more powerful to the ice that even the most untrained eye when it comes to ice skating could see. Scott had never been sure what it was for Tessa, but he knew, without a doubt, that this was the day he knew he was completely, utterly, and hopelessly in love with her.

Eventually, as they continued to skate, they got more fatigued, and sloppier with every minute that passed, and when they got their skates tangled up together, bringing the two of them to the ground, they took one look at each other before they burst into fits of laughter. But as their laughter died down, they became more aware of the situation they were in, or rather, the position.

Scott had fallen on top of her and had managed to prop himself up over her, with his forearms resting on either side of her head. Their legs were still tangled together, and Scott could feel Tessa’s hands lightly grabbing his jacket at his waist.

He smiled at her softly. “You okay, Kiddo?”

She smiled back and nodded her head. A strand of hair had fallen onto Tessa’s face, and almost instinctively, Scott tucks it back behind her ear and he _swears_ he can feel Tessa’s grip on his hips tighten. Instead of moving his hand back to it’s original position, he allows himself to slowly and gently slide his hand down her cheek and jaw, until he’s caressing her face and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

 _This is it_ , he told himself. _She’s right there, just kiss her, you coward!_

He felt himself start to lower his face towards hers, but he made the mistake of glancing down at her lips. Her perfect, plump, pink lips. And then he felt himself start to panic.

Scott had never wanted anything more in his life than to kiss Tessa then and there, but the only thing he could think about were the what-ifs. What if she rejected him? What if it effected their skating? What if, by some miracle, Tessa felt the same way about him as he did about her but it ends badly and she leaves? And as Scott lay there, frozen, staring at her lips, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle that. He couldn’t bear the thought of his name never escaping through those lips of hers again, if she never let out that huge belly laugh she reserves just for him. So, he plays it safe.

He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, as he’d done so many times before, and then untangled his legs from hers. Getting up, he tried his hardest to act like he hadn’t just had a slight mid-life crisis at the age of twenty-four. Naturally, he grabs Tessa’s hands and lifts her back on her feet.

“I think we should take that as our cue to get going,” he told her.

She smiled at him, but it’s wasn’t her usual smile that lit up her whole face. No, this one seemed slightly disappointed. But the next day, she was completely back to normal, and the two of them never talked about that day again.

And so, as Scott lay in bed, he replayed that day over and over. He analyzed every second of it, but he still comes to the same conclusion every time. He blew it. Eventually, he drifts off into a restless sleep, nothing on his mind except Tessa.

Then a week later, when he receives an invitation in the mail to join Tessa and Jake in celebrating the union of their two families, the replays of that day start all over again, but this time, in an alternate reality, he mans up and kisses her, and he’s left to dream about what might have been.

Because that’s all he has. What might have been.

***

_And I know her daddy's been dreading this day  
Oh, but he don't know he ain't the only one giving her away_

***

Unfortunately for Scott, the torture didn’t start and end with the actual wedding. No, he had the engagement party to go to. Originally, he’d responded _No_ to the RSVP, but Tessa wasn’t having that. As soon as she caught wind that he wasn’t going to be in attendance, she called him up, begging him to reconsider.

“We’ve never had huge life events without the other. Please, _please_ come,” she had said.

And Scott, because he would literally do anything to make that woman smile, and because he had started to think he may be a bit of a masochist, eventually agrees.

So now he’s stood in front of Tessa’s parent’s house, a place he’s been countless times before, but for the first time, he’s dreading walking through the door.

“Get a grip, Scott,” he muttered to himself. “It’s for Tessa, do this for Tessa.”

With that, he pushes the door open, instantly greeted by some of Tessa’s family members, who have come to be an extension of his own family over the years. He’s also met by Jake’s parents, who, just like their son, are very polite and welcoming, and Scott doesn’t know if that makes him feel better or worse about this whole messed up situation. He sees his own family mingling with other guests, and while he makes eye contact with some of them, they just offer him smiles filled with sympathy and let him be, and for that Scott is grateful. He continued walking through the house, eyes automatically searching for the pair of gorgeous green ones that own his heart, when he heard a deep voice from behind him.

“Scott Moir.”

He turned around coming face to face with Jim Virtue. For the first time that day, Scott let a genuine smile grace his features.

“Jim. Good to see you.”

The two men shook hands as Jim gave him a pat on the back.

“I’ve got to say, kid, I wasn’t sure if you were going to come. It’s a bit strange, isn’t it? As a father, you know that this day is going to come eventually, but that doesn’t make you any more prepared.” Jim said.

 _Yeah, you’re not the only one_. Scott inhaled deeply, trying to get a grip on his emotions.

“It’s definitely going to be something to get used to,” Scott said, before trying to make light of the situation. “I guess I’m going to have to learn how to share Tess from now on, huh?”

Jim let out a chuckle.

“I guess so,” he replied before adding, “Funny, though. I never thought you’d have to. Thought it’d be the two of you going through all of this one day.”

Scott just blinked, not knowing what to say. He just didn’t understand. Even Tessa’s father, her _father_ believed that the two of them would end up together. The entire universe points to the fact that it should be him by Tessa’s side, yet he’s not. And he just doesn’t get it.

He furrowed his eyebrows and cleared his throat.

“Just tell me one thing, Jim. Is she happy?”

Jim’s smile wavered a bit before answering. “She’s content, yes.”

Scott shook his head immediately. “That’s not what I asked. Is she really, truly, full on happy?”

Jim sighed, eyes darting around the room, a habit he seemed to share with his daughter when uncomfortable.

“Jake is a really good guy. I know he’ll do everything in his power to give her the best life possible,” he finally replied. “But if you’re asking if I ever think I’ll hear her do that laughing and crying thing with him that you’ve always talked about, then no. I don’t ever see her having that with him.”

And somehow, that was the worst part in of all of this.

***

 _I'll wear my black suit, black tie, hide out in the back_  
_I'll do a strong shot of whiskey straight out the flask_  
 _I'll try to make it through without crying so nobody sees_  
 _Yeah, she wanna get married_  
 _But she don't wanna marry me_

***

So there he was, three months later, standing in front of a church.

It surprised him, but the most overwhelming emotion he was currently feeling wasn’t heartbreak or sadness, it was anger.

 _This isn’t what Tessa wanted_ , he thought, looking at the giant church which was no doubt going to be packed full of people. He had watched various members of her family enter the church, including her grandfather, as a _guest_. Not as the one preaching the service. Not the one to actually marry her. Sighing, he walked through the door, only to be surrounded by roses everywhere he looked. _Of course, no magnolias either_. And Scott did have to admit, the venue was beautiful. The flowers were beautiful. Everything was beautiful. But it was all so traditional, as if no emotion was put into it. It wasn’t Tessa. It wasn’t the wedding she had been dreaming of since the ripe age of ten. Scott shook his head, walked right through the church, ignoring his family and fellow skating friends who tried to talk to him, and headed straight for the gardens in the back of the church. The second he was outside, he grabbed the flask from his jacket pocket and took a swig.

“Mind if I have some of that?”

Scott whipped around and almost spit out the sip he had just taken at the sight of _her._ She wasn’t in her dress yet, she was in a simple shirt and black leggings, but her make up was done, and Scott had never seen anything so heartbreakingly beautiful in his life. Finally, he was able to refocus his thoughts, and he smirked at her.

“You sure you should be drinking right before your wedding?” He asked but held the flask out to her anyway.

She immediately took it and took a long drink from it. Scott’s eyes widened as he stepped closer to her, one hand going instinctively around her waist, the other gently pulling the flask away from her mouth.

“Holy shit, T. What’s wrong?” He asked.

Tessa swallowed the whiskey with one giant gulp and then closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she looked stone cold, focused, just like she did before a competition. Taken aback by this, because he knew this look, and this look meant that she was trying to shut out any emotion that would try to penetrate her, he tried her again.

“Tess,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. “What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

Tessa took one, two, three deep breaths before answering him.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine,” she said. “Just nervous I guess.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Is this what you want, Tess? To get married here? Like this? Because I know you, and I know that you have had your wedding planned out since we were kids, and this isn’t it.”

She laughed humorlessly, pulling away from him, turning to look at the garden.

“Trust me, Scott. With Jake, this is the wedding I want. I don’t want anything to do with that other wedding I’d had planned. Not with him.”

This just confused Scott more, but he decided it would be best if he didn’t push it. He could tell she was getting emotional, and if they kept this conversation up, she’d most likely be crying soon, and he didn’t want her to ruin her make up.

So instead, he walked up behind her and ran his hands up and down her arms. She leaned back into him, and he told himself she only did that because it had become second nature to her after all those years skating together. Knowing that this would be the last time he’d get to be like this with her because, hell, she’d be a married woman in just a few hours, he rested his head in his favorite part of her, in the crook of her neck.

He kissed her there, trying to savor the taste of her one last time.

“You look stunning, Tess.”

Another kiss.

“You deserve the best-”

And another.

“Most beautiful-”

Another.

“Most perfect wedding of all time.”

One last kiss.

And then he released her and walked away, feeling a cold emptiness take over his body, one he knew could never be filled unless it was by her.

What he didn’t know was that she felt it too.

***

 _Bet she got on her dress now, welcoming the guests now_  
_I could try to find her, get it off of my chest now_  
 _But I ain't gonna mess it up, so I'll wish her the best now_

***

About half an hour later, Scott was trying to appear normal, chatting with Andrew Pojé and Patrick Chan. Although he tried to keep his feelings for Tessa private when they were competing together, he had assumed that Andrew and Patrick had picked up on it over the years, so they purposefully kept their conversation far away from Tessa, and Scott doesn’t think he’d ever been more grateful to the two.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about her. He can’t help it, she just occupies his mind at all hours of the day. It’s not like he _asks_ for this because he definitely, _definitely_ would have never asked for this. He thinks about her in her dressing room, with Jordan and Kaitlyn and all of her other bridesmaids. They only have about ten minutes until the ceremony starts, so Scott was positive that she was now in her dress, most likely welcoming and taking pictures with her family as her father prepares to give her away.

He’s mentally kicking himself for how he left her in the gardens. Could he have been anymore obvious that he was totally, completely in love with her? He fucking quoted her ten-year-old self, for God’s sake. Who _does_ that? Who remembers what someone said at ten years old?

But then the other part of him is wondering if he should have just straight up said the words. Those three words. Maybe, if he manned up and was straightforward with her for once in his life, it could change things. It’s taking every ounce of will power not to try and find her again. Try and convince her that unless the two of them are together, nothing is right in this world, but he couldn’t do it.

 _I can’t – I_ won’t _do that to her. Not on a day like this. Not when I had my shot for twenty years and did nothing_.

So instead, he took a seat in the very last row, by the aisleway, right by the doors, so he could make his escape if he had to. If it got to be too much.

***

 _So I'm in my black suit, black tie, hiding out in the back_  
_Doing a strong shot of whiskey straight out the flask_  
 _I'll try to make it through without crying so nobody sees_  
 _Yeah, she wanna get married_  
 _Yeah, she gonna get married_

***

It did get to be too much. Very, _very_ quickly. It was like time was warped. Everyone and everything was moving so slow yet all at once. One minute, he’s watching Jake take his place at the front of the church, the next minute the music starts and everyone is standing, and then there she is, walking down the aisle with Jim on her hand.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t look away from her. In her long, flowing white gown, she was every bit the bride Scott imagined her to be. Except he imagined her to be _his_ bride.

He was in the very last row, which meant that he was the first one she passed, the first one she _saw_ , and when they locked eyes it was like nothing else mattered except for the two of them.

 _Don’t do it_ , he wanted to say. _Don’t marry him, marry me._ But instead he bit the inside of his cheeks, offered her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, and finally tore his gaze away when he felt the tears stinging his eyes, threatening to drop.

Tessa finally reached the end of the aisle, and when her father took his hand out of hers and replaced it with Jake’s, Scott knew that he couldn’t make it through the rest.

So, as quietly as he could, he stood up and walked out the door, and only then did he let the tears fall.

***  
_But she ain't gonna marry me_  
 _Whoa, she ain't gonna marry me, no_

***

The only reason Jake knew Scott had left is because of Tessa. It’s like her mind and body was so attuned to him that he could have been leaving the coffee shop down the street and she’d _still_ know. Her head snapped in the direction of Scott’s retreating figure so fast, and he felt her flinch, as if she were about to go after him. But she stopped herself and faced him again and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

He knew, going into this relationship with Tessa, that it would be difficult. She had warned him. Had told him about how important Scott is to her, and how easily people mistake them for a couple, even though it had been a few years since they had been straight in the lime light. He took it all in stride and told her that she – that they – were worth it.

If only he had known back then how in love with him she was.

He had gotten hints of it throughout their relationship. He chalked them talking on the phone every night to the fact that they were best friends, and that was normal for them. When he had met Tessa, she and Scott were still trying to figure out what normal friendship looked like, and he figured in time, the phone calls would start to dwindle. They never did.

His first major red flag was when he and Tessa met up with Scott at the charity gala a few months ago, and Scott seemed absolutely floored by the idea of them still being together, much less engaged. Tessa gave a quick enough answer that she wanted to tell him in person, but when he confronted her later that night about how Scott had no idea they were still a couple, she just shrugged and said that they don’t talk about that stuff. And that was that.

Things between them changed after that. Tessa was more withdrawn. He could physically feel her pulling away from him. She made the excuse that she was just so busy and stressed with the wedding planning, and he accepted that truth, but it still made him feel uneasy.

But then today. He _saw_ them. He saw them talking in the gardens of the church, and _God_ the way she was with him, the way he was with her, the way they responded to each other, he knew that he would never have that with her. Hell, he didn’t know if anyone else in the world had what they had.

For the past hour, he’s been trying to forget about that private moment he saw. He told himself that it didn’t matter. After all, he was the one about to marry her, right? She had chosen him, right? _Right?_ Wrong. She had never chosen him. She was only settling for him, because he can see on her face how unsure she is about how Scott feels about her.

And Tessa didn’t deserve to settle for someone. And Jake didn’t deserve to _be_ settled on.

He cleared his throat. “Tessa, can I talk to you for a minute?”

She furrowed her eyebrows and cocked her head at him. “Now, Jake? Seriously?”

Jake nodded. “Seriously.”

Tessa sighed and nodded her head, and then Jake was leading her away to another room of the church. He heard all the murmuring from their guests, but he’d deal with that soon. They needed to talk this through.

He closed the door and they were both silent for a moment and then…

“I saw you today.”

“Jake, I have no idea what you mean.”

He inhaled and exhaled, trying to keep his emotions at bay before speaking again.

“You and Scott. In the gardens. I saw you.”

He looked at her, and he could tell she was trying to think of something to say by the way she kept opening and closing her mouth.

“It was nothing,” she finally settled on, and then Jake snapped.

“Don’t tell me it was _nothing_ , Tessa. I saw you. I saw him. And that version of you that I saw? I’ve never seen it with anyone but him.”

Surprise lit up her face. Jake rarely snaps at her.

“Tessa,” he said, calmer now. “Please, _please_ just tell me the truth. Do you even want to marry me?”

Tessa took a step towards him, starting to reach for him before stopping herself.

“Of course I want to get married, Jake.”

He nodded, knowing where this is going. “But you don’t want to marry _me_ , do you?”

She didn’t respond at first. The two of them just looked at each other, and when he saw the regret and guilt forming in her eyes, he knew the answer before she even said anything.

“No. I’m so sorry Jake.”

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to gain his composure as she continued. It was like now that her big secret was out in the open, she couldn’t stop talking.

“I tried, I swear I did. I tried so hard to love you the way you love me, but I just can’t. I think I’ve always known that my heart belongs to him, I was just so _scared_ and you were so _safe_ and then things just started spiraling out of control and the next thing I knew we were engaged, but I still just…I still just… _love him_.”

She trailed off, and then by some odd twist in fate, he was the one comforting her.

“It’s okay, Tessa. It’s okay. We’re both going to be fine. On the bright side, we had this conversation before we actually tied the knot,” he said, hoping to just get her to stop crying.

She let out a watery laugh, and then the two of them just stared at each other before she broke the silence.

“Jake, you deserve everything you want in this world. You are amazing, practically perfect, just-”

“Not perfect for you?” he finished for her.

She pursed her lips and nodded.

“Go after him.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“Go after him. I’ll be damned if we call off this wedding just for the two of you to keep running in circles around each other.”

“But the guests-”

“I’ll handle them, Tessa. Please, just go.”

She didn’t have to be told again. With another apology, she was off, and he was not quite left standing at the altar, but it was pretty damn close.

***

It turns out she doesn’t have to go far. Scott has only made it to the benches outside the church. She assumes he was hoping to sneak out of the ceremony unnoticed, and then join in again at the reception, acting as if he wasn’t affected by this.

He doesn’t see her. He couldn’t. He was crouched over, with his head in between his hands, trying to pull himself together. She looked at him, and she felt the familiar feeling of fondness and love overtake her, but she also felt broken. He looked like a shell of the man she’s used to, and she decided right then and there that she was going to spend the rest of her life making up for the pain she’d put him through these last few months.

She walks up to him, slowly so she doesn’t startle him, and when he still doesn’t look up, she realizes that his eyes were closed. So, she kneels in front of him, wedding dress be damned, and slowly removes his head from his hands only to cradle him in her own.

“Scott,” she whispers.

His eyes finally open, slowly, and Tessa can see the heartbreak, regret, confusion, relief, love and hope in them all at once.

“Tessa.”

***

_She wants to get married, she wants it perfect._


	2. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of Marry Me, from the moments after all the way up to their wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all asked for it, so who was I to deny it? :)  
> Honestly, the reception toward Marry Me has been absolutely amazing! I mean, I even saw someone tweet about it. Like, what? That's amazing! Thank you so much for all of the support. I honestly was not planning on writing anything more for this story line, but all of your positive feedback convinced me.  
> Hopefully this epilogue isn't quite as much of an emotional roller coaster - I tried to keep it fairly light!

“No, it _has_ to be magnolias,” Tessa hears Scott say from the other room. He pauses, waiting for the person on the other end to reply, and then she sees his eyes widen.

“There are different colors? Um, well, what are they?”

Tessa giggles to herself and after another minute she hears him calling for her.

“Hey Tess, do you want white, pink, purple, green or yellow magnolias?”

Unable to contain herself anymore, she transitions into full on laughter as she gets up from the couch in the living room and walks over to Scott sitting at the island in the kitchen.

“Here, just let me talk to them,” she says, stroking the back of his head lovingly as she holds out her other hand for his phone.

Reluctantly, he hands it over, looking defeated. She must admit, she loves him for trying. Scott didn’t want Tessa to feel too overwhelmed with all the wedding planning, and he was adamant about helping with it in some way, but Tessa had always been the better planner of the two. And plus, it’s not like she _minded_ planning her wedding. At least, not her one to Scott.

She quickly gets the flower orders in place, and then hangs up the phone and looks at Scott with amusement dancing in her eyes.

Scott frowns, grumbling something along the lines of, “It’s harder than it looks, okay?”

Tessa laughs before perching herself on Scott’s knee. Instinctively, his arms snake around her waist and she can already see the annoyance leaving his body.

“You tried, and I love you for that,” she says, pecking him on the lips.

He smiles slightly, but sighs. “I just don’t want you to feel like you’re planning this alone, or like I’m not all in, or-”

“Hey,” she interrupts him. “Don’t say that. Of course I know that you want this.”

He furrows his eyebrows, looking down at the ground. “I know, I know. I guess it’s just this stupid, irrational fear of mine that one day you’re going to wake up and realize how much better you can do than me.”

And there it was.

Tessa knew that in the beginning of their relationship – the romantic part of it, at least – Scott had been a bit insecure. _With good reason_ , she thought. She _had_ almost married another man and it really put him through the ringer.

Tessa’s chest tightened with guilt as she thought back to that day.

_“Scott,” she whispered._

_His eyes finally opened, slowly, and Tessa could see the heartbreak, regret, confusion, relief, love and hope in them all at once._

_“Tessa,” he croaked, and Tessa wanted to cry. Gone was the man who stood tall and strong beside her throughout their entire career. The one who pushed her every day to be a better skater and an even better person. The one who had stolen her heart at the age of seven and had yet to give it back. In his place was a broken man, one who looked impossible to put back together. But Tessa was determined._

_“Scott,” she repeated, placing herself in between his legs, inching closer to him until every part of them from the waist up was touching. Her hands stroked the side of his face, trying to offer him at least a little bit of comfort for what she’d put him through the past few months._

_“Don’t,” he said, and if it weren’t for his hands grabbing at her waist tightly, holding her to him, she would have thought that he was telling her not to comfort him._

_“Don’t do it,” he continued. “Don’t marry him.”_

_And that’s when Tessa lost it. This was all she had wanted to hear from him since he had found out about her engagement. If he would have told her that, she would have ended things with Jake within the second._

_“Oh, Scott,” she said through her tears, pushing herself even closer against him, if that were even possible. “I’m not. I’m not. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”_

_And they stayed there, in that position, for what felt like hours, but in reality was only minutes. They had inadvertently synched their breathing, bringing a familiar sense of normalcy to their otherwise messed up situation, and Tessa could finally tell that they were both calm enough to talk. She reluctantly distanced herself from him, and when she felt him squeeze at her waist again, she ran her hands up and down his arms and chest as if to tell him she wasn’t going anywhere._

_“I should never have agreed to marry Jake. I never should have even started to date him in the first place. It was unfair to him, to me, and now I see, to you. I just…I didn’t see it at the time. I didn’t see that you…loved me.”_

_Scott let out a scratchy, humorless laugh. “I don’t know how you didn’t. Everyone else did, apparently.”_

_“Well, everyone else saw how in love with you I am. Even Jake. Only you couldn’t see it.”_

_His eyes widened, and Tessa finally got a glimpse of that boyish charm Scott was still able to emulate. “You’re what?”_

_Tessa rolls her eyes. “Come on, Scott. I’m out here with you, instead of getting married. Of_ course _I love you.”_

_And now it was out. Tessa loved Scott. Scott loved Tessa._

_He closed his eyes, smiling slightly. “Say it again.”_

_Tessa smiled sweetly._

_“I love you,” she whispered, inching closer to him. “I love you, I love you I love-”_

_“I love you too,” Scott interrupts._

_And then his kisses her. And as his lips mold perfectly to hers, because they’re Scott and Tessa so of_ course _they fit, she can’t help but wonder how she’s gone all these years kissing the wrong guys when the right guy was always right there in front of her._

_They break away, and she’s half crying and half laughing, and then Scott full on grins._

_“There’s that noise I love so much,” he said before leaning in to kiss her again._

And even with the guilt from that period of their life still weighing on her, she can’t help but smile at the memory of it because although the lead up to it was painstakingly horrible, it still brought her him. And she would forever be grateful for that.

She takes his head in her hands, just as she did _that_ day, and forces him to look at her.

“Hey,” she says with a serious, yet still loving tone. “Don’t ever think that. You’re it for me. I’ve known that for almost my entire life, and that’s not changing anytime soon. That’s not changing ever.”

She can practically see the worry leave his eyes as he smiles at her.

“And you know it’s the same for me, Kiddo,” he responds. “I love you.”

She smiles. “I love you too.”

And then she kisses him into oblivion.

***

The day was finally here.

Surprisingly, Tessa was extremely at peace. She just knew, she _knew_ that today was going to be absolutely perfect.

Scott, on the other hand, was not.

“Man, you have got to get a grip,” Danny Moir says, watching Scott pace back and forth around his dressing room.

“I know, Danny! I know! I just need things to be perfect for her. What if something goes wrong? She’s had this planned out practically her entire life. If she’s disappointed by today then…” Scott trails off.

Danny sighs. “Scott, everything is going to be fine, okay?”

Scott doesn’t answer, so he continues.

“Look, you’ve got her grandfather. You’ve got the venue. You’ve got the flowers. You’ve got the intimate group of friends and family. But above all, you’ve got _Tessa_. And that should be all that matters.”

Scott takes a deep breath, letting out an airy laugh. “Becoming a Dad’s done you some good, man.”

Danny smiles and nods. “It absolutely has. Now let’s get you married.”

***

“You ready?” Jim Virtue asks his daughter. They were currently waiting inside the tent at the end of the aisle way. Since Tessa and Scott wanted an outdoor wedding, there were no doors to go through, but Tessa preferred this. It was simple. It was _them_. The venue, of course, was just as she’s always pictured it. An open area overlooking the countryside. The sun was getting ready to set, and Tessa could already picture the yellows and oranges in the sky.

Tessa beams back at him. “More than you could ever imagine.”

Jim smiles back at her. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart.”

Tessa laughs slightly. “For what? Getting married?”

Her father shakes his head. “No. For following your heart.”

“Dad,” is all Tessa can say before she wraps him in a big hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now come on, it’s time.”

And so off they went, through the flaps of the tent. Tessa could feel her heart beating out of her chest just as it had when she was about to marry Jake, but this time not with anxiety or dread. This time, all she felt was a heart filled with excitement and love as she started her walk toward her future. Just looking around the venue made her start to tear up. Everything was just as she’d planned over two decades ago. It was all just as she had described.

But when she made eye contact with the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle, she quickly realized that none of it mattered. Because all of that faded away at the sight of Scott Moir, her fiancée, soon to be husband, looking at her like she was his whole world. And in that moment, she wondered what on earth she had done to deserve the wonderful life she’s been given.

Finally, she reached him, and she kissed her Dad on the cheek before eagerly reaching out toward Scott, just wanting to touch him, so that she knew this was real, and not another one of her dreams she had been so prone to having in her teens and early twenties.

She squeezed his hand, confirming that yes, this was in fact happening, and beamed up at him.

“This is real. We’re actually doing this.”

Scott laughed under his breath. “This is real. You still good with that?”

Tessa vigorously nodded her head. “Absolutely. You and me.”

He smiled back at her. “You and me.”

With that, they turned toward Tessa’s grandfather, who smiles lovingly at the couple before starting the service.

It was a simple ceremony, and before they knew it, it was time to exchange vows.

“Tessa and Scott have elected to take their love for each other and write their own vows. Scott, you may tell Tessa your vows.”

Scott takes a deep breath, turning to Tessa, taking her hands in his, stroking them lightly with his thumbs.

“Tessa. Tess. T. Kiddo. You’ve had many names to me through out the years. Skating partner. Best friend. Business partner,” that one earned a laugh from her and their guests. “But never in my life did I think I would be lucky enough for one of those names to be my wife. I already know it’s not going to be a problem loving you every day from here on out, because I’ve already done that for the past two decades. I firmly believe, wholeheartedly, that you are my soulmate. I was destined to love you. In the words of one of your favorites, Jane Austen, ‘you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you’, so much it hurts sometimes. You are my world, my everything, and I can’t wait to start our forever together.”

Tessa has tears threatening to drop, and it’s all she can do not to just kiss him right then and there. She settles for squeezing his hands, hoping to convey everything she’s feeling. He squeezes back, so she thinks he gets the idea.

“Thank you, Scott,” her grandfather says, and Tessa can see the tears shining in his own eyes. “Tessa, my dear, your turn.”

Tessa smiles. “Scott. I know that throughout our lives, you’ve always been pegged as the ‘emotional one’. But what most people don’t see is that you’re the one to keep me sane. When I was seven, and we first started skating together, I fell and scraped my knee. I was crying in the middle of the ice, and you soothed me until I had stopped crying enough for you run and get a band-aid and help put me back together. And I loved you for that. When I was ten, and you listened to my dreams and desires of a wedding that you had no interest in – but look at you now (cue laughter from Scott and the crowd) – I loved you for that. When I was fifteen and we were on our own, and you comforted me on the nights when I was sad and missing home instead of doing what normal seventeen-year olds do, I fell _in_ love with you for that. And that love has only grown every day since. I used to not understand, when people said that they fell more in love every day. But I get it now. Because I do. I don’t know how, but every day I manage to fall a little bit more in love with you. And now I get to continue to do that, for the rest of my life, and I can’t wait to see where this next part of our life takes us.”

At this point, there was no stopping the tears. Not a dry eye was in the house as they exchanged their rings. And then…

“I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Moir. Scott, you may kiss your bride.”

Scott wasted no time – Tessa thinks she may have heard him mutter “finally” but she isn’t sure – takes Tessa in his arms and kisses her like his life depended on it.

Tessa is in tears, smiling through the kiss, and when Scott releases her, she lets out a little cry and laugh, which just makes Scott kiss her again.

They pull back, laughing together, and turn toward their friends and family who are all cheering.

Walking down the aisle together, hand in hand, Scott turns to Tessa and whispers, “Hi, Mrs. Moir.”

Tessa’s smile is so big it’s starting to ache, but she’s too happy to care.

“Hi, my husband,” she whispers back.

***

The reception was just one huge party – they allowed a few more people to attend the reception than the actual ceremony – but all Tessa and Scott wanted to do was be alone. However, they knew that they had an obligation, and there _were_ some people who they hadn’t seen in a while that they were looking forward to, such as Meryl and Charlie – as much as the media tried to play it up, they _were_ actually friends.

Throughout the dinner and party antics, Tessa didn’t let go of Scott’s hand. She _couldn’t_. She loved feeling that little gold band around his ring finger, symbolizing that he was forever hers.

“Not that I wasn’t already,” Scott had said when she told him her thoughts.

Scott truly didn’t mind the excessive hand holding. He’d hold her hand for as long as she would let him.

Finally, it was nearing the end of the reception, but Jordan, as the maid of honor, was very clear that no one could leave until speeches were made.

“I’ll start,” she had said. And her speech had been sweet and caring, everything Tessa would have expected from her older sister. “What the two of you have, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Cherish it, because it sure is special.”

Danny, as the best man, had been the next speech, and his brought a humor only a Moir could get away with. “Tessa and Scott, it truly, _truly_ has been a long time coming. I mean seriously, I’m pretty sure some of us were in physical _pain_ trying to get you idiots to see what was right in front of you. I know I was.”

And the speeches continued, through other friends and family, and they were all touching, but the one that truly stood out to Tessa was her fathers.

“Tessa. My darling Tessa. Whenever I would think of this day when you were growing up, I dreaded it. I couldn’t stand the thought of a man whisking you away from me. Little did we know, he already had. Right from under my nose.” Everyone laughed at that, and Tessa looked at Scott as he kissed her cheek. “And little did _I_ know, I had already approved of him before I knew what was to come. And although the term is supposed to be ‘giving you away,’ I don’t feel like I did that. I feel as if I merely returned you to where you belonged the entire time.”

Tessa smiles at him and mouths an ‘I love you.’ She thought her Dad was done, but then he turned to Scott.

“Scott,” he started. “A while back, we had a conversation. In this conversation, I said that I thought it would be the two of you up there together one day. At the time, it didn’t look like that was a possibility. But thank you, thank you, thank you, for not giving up. For staying strong. For sticking by my daughter, my most cherished possession. Because of that, I can now answer that question you asked me that day in the way you would like me to. And that answer is yes. I have never in my life seen her as really, truly, full on happy as she is right now.”

Scott pursed his lips and nodded, trying not to show how emotional he truly felt. He raised his drink in the direction of Jim, and Jim reciprocated, and he knew that Jim got his message. _Thank you_.

Tessa turned to Scott, confused. “What conversation?”

Scott smiled at Tessa. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”

***

Finally, _finally_ , it was time to leave. Their friends and family sent them off in a car, “just married” decorations and all, and then it was just the two of them. They didn’t leave for their honeymoon until the next day, so they were spending the night in a hotel nearby.

Scott looked over at Tessa in the passenger seat, who was already smiling back at him.

“What?” he says with a laugh.

Tessa just shakes her head. “Nothing. It’s just, we’re _married_.”

Scott laughs and holds out his hand, which she immediately takes. “Crazy, right? Small town boy meets city girl.”

She shrugged. “Maybe a little. But if we’re being honest, we both know that this was inevitable.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re right.”

They make it to the hotel, and it’s all Tessa can do not to drag Scott up to their room.

“Tess, we have to check in first,” he laughed.

She huffs, but says, “Fine, but make it quick. I’ve been waiting for this all night.”

Scott doesn’t need to be told twice.

They make it to their room and Tessa is on him the second the door clicks closed.

He can’t help but laugh, because as much crap as he gets for being the touchy one of the two, she sure has him beat tonight.

As soon as her lips find his jaw, however, he’s completely zoned in on her.

“Tess,” he whispers, taking control of the situation. He picks her up in his arms, bridal style, because _of course_ , and carries her to the bed, laying her down softly.

“Slow down there, Kiddo,” he smiles down on her. “We’ve got forever.”

He sees Tessa’s eyes, filled with lust before, soften a bit.

“Forever,” she repeated. “I like the sound of that.”

He kisses her, slowly, as he lowers himself onto her, propping himself up with his forearms resting on either side of her head.

“I do too,” he replies, caressing her cheek with one of his hands.

As they lay there, with their legs tangled together and him hovering over her, she grabs hold of his waist, and it’s like she’s transported back in time to the day she had finally admitted to herself that she was in love with him. She had thought he was going to kiss her that day, but to her utter disappointment, and embarrassment, he didn’t.

But tonight, she was absolutely positive he would.

“Tess?” He muttered, his lips centimeters from hers.

“Yes?”

“Were you happy with everything today? The wedding, I mean.”

She smiled at him softly. “Scott Moir, it was the best, most beautiful, most perfect wedding of all time.”

Scott smiled triumphantly at her. “Good,” he said, leaning in to close the distance between them.

But Tessa stopped him.

“But not because of the venue, or the magnolias, or anything like that.”

Scott furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “But I thought that’s what you want-”

“It was beautiful, yes. But for the day to be absolutely perfect, all I ever really needed was you.”

Scott closed his eyes and dropped his head, resting it at the curve of her neck.

“I have no idea how I got so lucky,” he muttered, placing feather light kisses over her neck and chest.

“I know the feeling,” she whispers. “Now get up here and kiss me.”

He scoffed. “Rude,” he replied jokingly.

But because she was still Tessa, and he was still Scott, he listened to her anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this wraps up all the loose ends! Thank you so much for reading, it was such a joy to revisit my passion for writing again through this story.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I never do RPF so it was a bit of a challenge, but I loved being able to write again!


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